Williams, Dennis

OT 115 - West

Date of Death: 18/09/2013

From The Gazette 58.

An appreciation by Malcolm Pratt

Dennis Williams arrived at Ottershaw on 19 September 1949 as OT 115. It was not long before those of us who were already there realised that West House had been fortunate in acquiring a friendly, gregarious newcomer with enormous potential as a games player.

The Ottershaw Weekly News, on which I have to rely for much information as I write, was first published over a year later on 13 January 1951. Dennis's first mention as an individual sportsman appears in OWN No. 6 when he played fourth string in a squash match against Whitgift School, winning his match 3-0. Results like that were to become common. In swimming notes from the same edition he is mentioned as a back crawl specialist, and three months later was writing, presumably as captain, the report of a strangely age-grouped Under-14½ soccer match in which Eton beat Ottershaw 2-1. That same summer, within what was known as the 'Medium' age group, Dennis achieved early in the season the gold standard for 220 yards and the silver for 100 yards. Despite his obvious general sporting ability, it was as a first-team player in the three principal sports of soccer, rugby and cricket that he really made his mark. Having already been a leading member of all three sides for a considerable time, when Alan Marsden left at Christmas 1953 Dennis succeeded him as captain of soccer and cricket for the remainder of the season, and in the school year 1954-55 was captain of all three teams. Perhaps his most successful achievement in all those sides was in the undefeated 1953 cricket 1st XI, when he scored 556 runs including six successive fifties at an average of 50.6.

Quite apart from his sporting prowess, Dennis, while a younger member of the Ottershaw community, ventured into criminality! Of this he has provided us with a delightful account. He comments: “In 1950 the prices of all forms of scrap metal were soaring due to the supplies of raw material having been exhausted by the war.” (Oh what a currently topical sound that has!) A number of syndicates of Ottershaw boys proceeded to remove and melt down metal, mostly lead, from the old chapel. Gaining in confidence, they offered their product to Mr Hunt, who supplied coaches for school travel and was also a scrap metal dealer. Understandably, Mr Hunt immediately reported the offer to the Headmaster. Dennis felt that the letter which went home telling his parents why they would not be allowed to visit him during the forthcoming term was the most effective punishment he ever received!

Dennis left school at the end of the 1954-55 year having, despite this misdemeanour, been West House captain for a year and two terms and School Captain during his last year.  He went into the army where, following his cricket success, he was awarded his full cricket colours at Sandhurst, scored a century at Lords against the MCC and went on to captain the Army and Combined Services elevens.

Of his army career I recall only two incidents.  As Major Williams he returned to give a skilfully crafted and highly perceptive address at the memorial service held for Arthur Foot in the school hall.  I was sitting with Sylvia Foot that day and she was much moved.  Sadly there is no known copy of that address available for, when he searched for a copy which might be included in ‘Run Like a Stag’ – The Story of Ottershaw School 1948-80, Dennis couldn’t trace one.  In 1988, when as Brigadier Williams he was serving as Military Attaché in Seoul, I also well remember his highly effective (and also extremely noisy!) support of the Great Britain Men’s Hockey team which won the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics that year. 

On his retirement from the army and return to this country Dennis initiated his outstandingly successful Ottershaw London Dinners, later to become London Lunches.  He put an enormous amount of effort into the complex administration of these occasions and into tracking down people he thought should be there.  He also showed considerate and thoughtful kindness to those with problems of any kind.  Many of us who were his contemporaries have very good reason to be grateful for these convivial opportunities to meet our former school-fellows.  During the time when he was organising the London gatherings, Dennis also served for many years on the Committee of the Ottershaw School Old Boys' Society and became its President.

It is to ’Run Like a Stag’ that I must turn last. This book, edited by Dennis and including much original writing by him, was produced in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the school's opening. Dennis had no experience of writing or publishing before undertaking the project and, as I had some experience of both, did me the honour of inviting me to meetings to discuss progress. We used to meet at Allders in Croydon and have lunch there while examining articles which had been received and talking over the way forward. Despite his inexperience, Dennis was determined to produce the book in his own way, and what a very successful way that turned out to be. I felt privileged to be involved and greatly enjoyed the proof-reading task I was given later. The book as published does him enormous credit and has been a great success. It provides a balanced and detailed account of the ups and downs of the school's history and knits together exceptionally well the efforts of a great range of contributors, with Dennis's interjections and wry comments providing an entertaining thread. It is also, because of the circumstances in which the school was founded, an important contribution to the history of post-war education. Sadly, I fear it has not been recognised as such.

We all owe Dennis an enormous debt of gratitude, not only for his contribution to all aspects of school life while he was a pupil and later to OSOBS and his fellow Old Boys, but also for the permanent record he has provided of Ottershaw School.  ‘Run Like A Stag’ will ensure his Ottershaw immortality.

 

And taken from The Gazette 59.

My task today is to share with you something of the life and times of Dennis Williams as he progressed through Ottershaw School and then later in his time following retirement, when he became a veritable pillar of the Old Boys’ Society.

It is impossible to pay adequate tribute to Dennis in just a few minutes. However, I am pleased that ABC, that is to say the Archbishop of Canterbury, has afforded a dispensation to St Mary’s Battersea today allowing sufficient time for an appropriate length of service. Dennis played a singular part in regenerating the Ottershaw School Old Boys’ Society, in particular as regards the participation of older members. He was the guiding hand through the wonderful 50th memorial celebration of the establishment of the school. He also founded an annual lunch in April each year for older members of the Society, who were among the first pupils to attend the school, and their slightly younger contemporaries.

As president, for seven years from 1998 to 2005 he brought vitality and enthusiasm to our activities and worked tirelessly keeping in touch with the members. Often, when they were in difficult times through Ill health and sometimes financial hardship, he provided friendship, counsel and support. As time was to tell, he was an outstanding pupil, and later in life, among Dennis’s many achievements is the fine record that he assembled in the book of the school, Run Like a Stag. The time and care he contributed to this work has created a long-lasting testimony to our “Alma Mater”. A natural sportsman from early schooldays, Dennis established himself in teams and ultimately was captain of rugby, cricket and soccer. He also began to play squash, where he quickly became one of the best in the school at the game which he played to what many would regard as an advanced age! Many of his contemporaries will remember his happy nature, with the nickname of “letterbox” on account of his great smile!

I spoke with one of our former masters, Tom Weston, who was responsible for coaching younger cricketers in Dennis’s early days. “Dennis”, he said to Arthur Buttery, “is always stepping away to leg, before aiming to hit the ball!” Buttery, somewhat senior and also Dennis’s Housemaster, said, “Don’t believe it, Dennis will be the best cricketer the school has ever had.” Well, Dennis proved Buttery right and Weston wrong! His early ventures as an entrepreneur included selling lead from the School Chapel roof. However, he failed to elude the scrutiny of his Headmaster in this venture and suffered an early experience of confinement to Barracks! A cricketing contemporary in the first XI, Roger Christie, here today, remembers batting at No.3 with Dennis racing to his 50. As his partner at the crease, Roger would be in fear and trembling at the prospect of one of Dennis’s many lusty blows being struck straight back to the bowler’s end!

I have received many messages from Old Boys unable to be with us today, who speak of their memories of Dennis as an inspiring leader. He was a colossus of sporting achievement in his time. Being a fine backstroke swimmer, he was a member of the swimming team, while he sang in the choir and even played the double bass in the school orchestra! Modest in his achievements, as well as being a great companion and friend of his contemporaries at school, in later life he was a dear and generous friend to many more of us. Always with good humour, as in schooldays, he could be relied upon for his support and wise counsel. It was February last year when I received a call from Dennis. He told me that he was making plans for the future, and when the time came he wished me to speak about his life at Ottershaw School and the Old Boys’ Society. I knew then that he had been sent back home from hospital by his doctors to be on palliative care only. That is to say, “Sorry Mr Williams, but it will be weeks, not months.”

Well, of course his doctors did not realise they had Dennis and his wife Renate to reckon with. With Renate’s love and care and his own determination, like “Lazarus from the grave”, Dennis came back to us. Wonderful and typical of the man.
As I have said, it is impossible in just a few minutes to give a complete picture of our friend who meant so much to all of us here today. It is our great good fortune to have shared in his life. “Very satisfactory, Williams”, his Headmaster would have said! Dennis, we shall miss you from the team. Carrying your bat through life and now in death, your innings in our hearts will never end.
Peter Jones